America's deadliest railroad hits more problems as it drowns in $5.5billion debt after the deaths of 196 people

By LAUREN ACTON-TAYLOR, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 19:33, 10 May 2026 | Updated: 19:38, 10 May 2026 Brightline, America's deadliest railroad, has fallen into more hot water as the company faces bankruptcy with little respite in sight after the deaths of nearly 200 people.  A financial audit by Ernst & Young on Brightline, a highspeed railroad that launched in 2017, saw that the company reported a net loss of over $230 million in 2025, raising red flags for the railroad's future.  The year before, the company reported a roughly half-billion-dollar loss.  According to the firm, the company's mounting $5.5 billion debt has left Brightline in need of drastic action to avoid filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.  There is 'substantial doubt' from the auditors that the railroad, which connects Orlando international Airport to South Florida, will be able to find the funds to bounce back.  'The company requires funds to service its debt and meet such other obligations as they become due and has stated that it does not currently have the liquid funds necessary to service its debt,' the audit obtained by the Daily Mail stated.  'Substantial doubt exists about the company's ability to continue as a going concern.'  Brightline said in the documentation that, while it doesn't currently have the liquid funds, 'management is working to consummate one or more additional capital raises.' A financial audit by Ernst & Young on Brightline, a highspeed railroad that launched in 2017, saw that the company reported a net loss of over $230 million in 2025, raising red flags for the railroad's future A drone view shows the wreckage after a Brightline passenger train collided with a fire truck in Delray Beach, Florida, in December 2024 These, the company said, may come in the form of newly issued senior secured indebtedness, subordinated secured indebtedness, unsecured indebtedness and/or additional equity contributions.   Bloomberg reported that the company is looking at bringing on new investors, landing further financing or rejecting a chunk of their debt without entering court proceedings.  The outlet reported that Brightline is expected to hand over $117 million in interest in 2026, but delayed payments earlier in the year.  Brightline made $214 million last year, which is an increase of around 14 percent, but the company projected around twice as much, WLRN reported.  In March, credit ratings agency S&P Global cut its low grade on its Brightline bonds and withdrew its ratings completely. The company warned the restructuring of Brightline's financial borrowing is 'a virtual certainty in about six months,' the outlet reported.  'Brightline Trains Florida continues to significantly underperform our original expectations,' S&P Managing Director Trevor D’Olier-Lees wrote in a debt rating cut.  The struggling railroad company saw a 25 percent increase in 2026 from the year before from riders between South Florida stations, but the average fare fell by 16 percent, WLRN reported.  In late December 2025, an investigation by the Miami Herald saw that the trainline had killed at least 196 people since 2017 The ambitious railroad announced plans to build a line connecting the West of the country across California and Nevada which Executive Director Michael Reininger said is now projected to be completed in 2029 'The alarming depletion of the project’s liquidity raises concerns around the quality of information provided,' D’Olier-Lees continued. 'Moreover, it indicates that the project faces an increased risk of a distressed exchange.' The news comes after the ambitious railroad announced plans to build a line connecting the West of the country across California and Nevada.  Brightline had hopes of having the line up and running for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, but Brightline West's Executive Director Michael Reininger told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the estimated end goal is now more likely in 2029.  The first two of eight train sets for the West Coast line are already under construction, according to Reininger.  Despite financial concerns, Brightline will continue to operate in Florida.  The company had already faced troubles over the years following its crowning as the deadliest railroad in the nation.  In late December 2025, an investigation by the Miami Herald saw that the trainline had killed at least 196 people since 2017.  All of those killed by the high-speed trains, except 26 victims, were found to have been on foot or bicycle as the trainline faced mass amounts of backlash over its safety precautions.  A Brightline train in Florida seen after colliding with a fire truck in Delray Beach in December 2024 More than half of those killed were walking across the tracks where there were no bells, gates or fences, the outlet reported.  What was dubbed the Brightline Corridor then became infamous for the amount of deaths that occurred, and the company began to consider more safety features. The death toll documented by the outlet began as young as 17 to 84 years old.   The Daily Mail reached out to Brightline for comment.   No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. 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